Santa Claus may live on the North Pole, but he?s from NY says a Bronx historian

Ultan also says the Dutch word for Saint Nicholas is Sant Nicluas, say it fast and it becomes Santa Claus. According to Ultan, the idea for Christmas trees came from Christians trying to convert Pagans back in the second century. The missionaries decorated the trees to get Pagans comfortable with Christian ideas.

Ultan says all of these Christmas traditions are well documented facts, and can be found at any Bronx library.